QR Codes (2 Dimensional Barcodes)

Barcodes have been around since the 30’s to represent data which can be read optically by machines. Traditionally, linear barcodes represent data in the widths and the spaacings of the lines printed on them. The humble barcode was used for many purposes initially, however, came into its own once supermarkets began using them.

The data represented in linear barcodes is encoded into the barcode lines using the vertical lines to represent numbers or letters. Theoretically you can represent any data in the barcode, however, it begins to get a little unrealistic to represent long passages of text as the length of the barcode would increase proportionally with the number of characters represented.

Enter technology.. Some smart people have designed methods to encode the data which is more efficient than the plain encoding methods used by traditional linear barcodes. One of the more interesting ones for us is QR Codes, this is classed a 2 dimensional barcode due to the data being represented in a 2 dimensional form as opposed to a collection of lines read in a linear fashion. QR Codes are interesting for loyalty applications due to them having the capability of allowing us to encode ample information, scanners are low cost, the barcode can be printed easily, and it can be delivered via MMS, email, etc.

Some interesting uses for the QR Code are:

Mobile tagging
A user reads a QR Code and is directed to a website which has additional information on the product / service on which the code is located, uses such as allowing a reader to get additional information on a magazine advertisement, billboard, etc. Most phones will also playback rich media so a film studio could deliver a trailer from a billboard into the user’s mobile device.

Geo based reviews and tours
A city embeds QR codes on historical landmarks and restaurants giving tourists the ability of self guided tours. Due to the dynamic nature of the internet, reviews and tour information is updateable and could be linked to a city wiki.

Ticketing and vouchers
A QR Code can be used for concert and party goer ticketing, the code is MMS’d to the user’s phone and scanned on entry to the event. A company could also implement a voucher system using QR Codes sent to customer’s phones.